Dental disease is the most common health problem in pet rabbits. Providing appropriate hay-based diets, recognising malocclusion early, and seeking specialist dental care significantly improves rabbit welfare.
Rabbit dental disease causes significant chronic pain that severely impairs quality of life. The stoic nature of rabbits means dental pain is often advanced before clinical signs become obvious — rabbits continue attempting to eat despite severe oral discomfort. Reduced food intake, weight loss, wet dewlap, and preference for soft foods are signs of dental problems requiring prompt veterinary assessment. The primary preventive measure is dietary: hay-based feeding providing constant tooth wear is both physiologically appropriate and the most effective dental disease prevention strategy. Regular dental checks including proper assessment of cheek teeth — which are inaccessible without equipment even to experienced owners — enable early detection. Malocclusion often requires ongoing management including regular dental filing under anaesthesia, which becomes a welfare consideration in its own right when repeated frequently.